HLIB sees continued gaming sector recovery amid APAC travel surge
The recovery in both countries will be largely supported by improving travel flows from key Asia-Pacific source markets.
In Singapore, the momentum will be further reinforced by the rollout of high-profile attractions such as Illumination's Minion Land, Mandai's Rainforest Wild Asia, and the Disney Adventure Cruise Ship.
Meanwhile, Malaysia stands to benefit from its official assumption of the ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025. During this period, Malaysia will host more than 300-related meetings, programs, and summits throughout 2025.
This momentum will continue into Visit Malaysia Year 2026. A notable development to monitor in the second half of 2025 is Resorts World New York City (RWNYC)'s bid for a full-scale commercial casino license in downtown New York.
RWNYC must secure one of the three available licenses to offer Las Vegas-style slot machines and table games.
On 27 June, RWNYC has officially submitted its proposal to the New York State Gaming Commission, competing against seven other bidders, with the three winners to be selected on 01 December.
According to RWNYC's proposal, gross gaming revenue is projected to more than double (+2.2x) by 2027. We believe its potential could be interesting as many New York City residents currently travel out-of state for table gaming.
To be conservative, we will only incorporate the uplift into our target price upon a successful bid outcome. We believe SPToto's number forecast operator segment will continue to deliver stable revenue growth, supported by a growing population and rising household income.
Separately, we note some investor unease following SPToto's recent related party transaction in late June 2025 – the acquisition of three freehold commercial units at Berjaya Times Square – which has raised concerns around the group's capital allocation discipline.
We maintain our NEUTRAL stance on the gaming sector, as the anticipated recovery from rising tourist arrivals may be weighed down by GenM's operational risks, evidenced by past weaker-than-expected results.
Additionally, investor concerns over SPToto's capital allocation discipline could stifle its investment appeal. —Aug 8, 2025
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Free Malaysia Today
23 minutes ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Public feedback still required for key projects, says DBKL
DBKL said it is committed to public engagement, transparency, and inclusive decision-making in urban planning. PETALING JAYA : New planning regulations for Kuala Lumpur will continue to require stakeholder consultation, Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) said today. DBKL said although formal objections to the Kuala Lumpur Local Plan 2040 (PTKL 2040) no longer apply following its gazettement on June 11, it remains committed to best planning practices through the implementation of Rule 3 of the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur Planning Rules 2025, which mandates stakeholder consultations. It explained that such consultation is required for specific types of proposed developments, such as high-density projects or temporary developments, which require public feedback before approval is granted. 'Additionally, every approved development project in Kuala Lumpur is required to implement a communication strategy covering the pre-construction, construction, and post-construction phases,' it said in a statement. 'This ensures that developers engage with nearby residents to clearly explain the planned development and the benefits it will bring to the local community.' DBKL said these measures reflect its ongoing commitment to public engagement, transparency, and inclusive decision-making in urban planning. It was responding to criticism by Seputeh MP Teresa Kok over the 'secret' gazettement of the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur Planning Rules 2025, which took place on June 13 and became effective three days later. Kok said the rules, which replace decades-old planning laws, weaken transparency and limit public objections to development projects. In its statement, DBKL said it remains dedicated to ensuring that the city is developed in an organised, inclusive, and liveable manner, with public input serving as a key foundation of its planning process. It also stressed that PTKL 2040's preparation was carried out transparently and in full compliance with legal provisions, with all stakeholders given the opportunity to provide input. It said it implemented a variety of publicity and public engagement methods to ensure broad community participation in line with Sections 14 and 15 of the Federal Territory (Planning) Act 1982. The public participation period began on Jan 31, 2024, was extended twice, and ended on April 15, 2024, it said. During this time, DBKL said it hosted permanent and mobile exhibitions across Kuala Lumpur and conducted 13 public briefing sessions, including ones involving Kuala Lumpur MPs. It also said it went beyond the legal requirements by conducting more engagement sessions than required under the Federal Territory (Planning) Act. Fifty-one engagement sessions involving more than 1,500 individuals and groups were organised. The participants included academics, MPs, professionals, residents' associations, government bodies, and local authorities. These engagement efforts spanned several years and formats, and included early pre-consultation sessions in 2019, informal meetings with MPs in 2020, and technical meetings with 32 government bodies. DBKL also said it gathered feedback through online surveys from 300 residents' associations, hosted focus group discussions with 521 participants, held consultation sessions with MPs in 2023, and organised an open day for the draft amendment in May.
Free Malaysia Today
3 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Number of Malaysians with at least RM1.2mil to double over 10 years, says HSBC
HSBC Bank said affluent Malaysians are increasingly seeking investment solutions that not only accelerate wealth accumulation but also safeguard their health and lifestyle. (Reuters pic) PETALING JAYA : HSBC Bank expects the number of Malaysians with at least US$250,000 (RM1.18 million) in assets to double over the next 10 years. HSBC's head of international wealth and premier banking Asia, Kai Zhang, said Malaysia's growing economy is creating more opportunities to build and sustain wealth. 'We estimate that the percentage of adults in Malaysia with at least US$250,000 in financial wealth will double over the next decade,' she said in a statement to mark the launch of HSBC Bank Malaysia Bhd's revamped HSBC Premier for its affluent and high-net-worth customers today. Linda Yip, HSBC Malaysia's country head of international wealth and premier banking, said affluent Malaysians are increasingly seeking investment solutions that not only accelerate wealth accumulation but also safeguard their health and lifestyle. In 2023, a report from property consultancy Knight Frank stated that the number of Malaysians with at least US$1 million (RM4.6 million) in wealth will nearly double from over 85,000 in 2022 to more than 164,000 in 2027.
Malay Mail
5 hours ago
- Malay Mail
MB: Johor leads Malaysia's data centre investment, 42 projects worth RM164.45b approved as of Q2 2025
JOHOR BAHRU, Aug 13 — Johor has emerged as the nation's leading data centre investment hub with 42 projects worth RM164.45 billion approved as of the second quarter (2Q) this year. Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi said these projects are expected to create over 6,000 quality job opportunities and contribute 78.6 per cent of the country's operational IT capacity. He also stated that Johor is targeting to house six per cent of Malaysia's data centre capacity by the year 2030. 'In line with this development, the state government aspires to position Johor as a leader in artificial intelligence (AI) and the nation's digital economy. This will be achieved through the integration of smart technologies in public services, enhancing the competitiveness of industries, and building an inclusive and sustainable digital ecosystem so that the benefits of technology can be enjoyed by all levels of society,' he said in a Facebook post. He added that the combination of large-scale data centre infrastructure, advances in AI technology, and progressive government policies will further position Johor as a potential regional digital innovation hub. 'This initiative will not only drive economic growth but also improve the quality of life for the people of Johor through high-skilled job opportunities, the development of new industries, and smart solutions to everyday challenges,' he said. In the same post, Onn Hafiz also shared that he met with Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo to discuss the direction of the state's digital development at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (Mitec) in Kuala Lumpur today. He said the meeting served as an important platform to strengthen Johor's role in the Data Centre Task Force (DCTF) and ensure that data centre development is carried out comprehensively, sustainably, and with real impact for the people. — Bernama
